Character 63 - Agra Vos

This week  we have a lawful good hobgoblin from a plane other than prime material, now residing in the River Kingdoms. A reincarnated soul, there was a lot to think about when trying to piece together this character. Choosing a class is always the hardest part, because it will color how you fill in the missing pieces of information. This week is the first time that I’ve made a character that uses an occult class. In this case a spiritualist with the fractured mind archetype. So let’s see how that works out.

Agra Vos

Illustration by Luis Perez

Agra may have been born in the River Kingdoms but her home is in the kingdom of Heaven.  This is not the first life Agra has had and at this point she’s not sure if it will be her last. In her current mortal form she is the hobgoblin known as Agra, born to two outcasts who relocated to the chaotically free River Kingdoms. Her father had long since put down his sword and began the life of a farmer.

Growing up outside of the regiment didn’t mean she wasn’t subject to the strict military nature most hobgoblins face. Her father kept her and her younger sister on a tight schedule around the farm. No time for dillydallying or horseplay. Keeping the farm going was of the utmost importance and it required discipline.

When Arga was eight she began to have very vivid dreams. These night visions showed her glorious battle against demons and devils, protecting people from rampaging monsters, and even standing at the gate to Heaven. The dreams were soon followed by voices in her head during the day time as well. She thought she was going insane and her parents didn’t know what to do.

Although the River Kingdoms are open to everyone who can forge their own way that doesn’t mean everyone is accepting of others. Being the only hobgoblin family in their immediate region meant that the Vos’ were subject to much ridicule and some outright racism. This took the form of bullying from the local kids for Agra, which escalated as her condition got worse and worse.

At thirteen the dreams turned into all out voices. A soft spoken woman would tell her daily that ‘he would come.’ Concerned for her own well-being Agra locked herself in her room and didn’t come out for a month.  Her parents didn’t know what to do and her father was becoming agitated. Exactly one month after her thirteenth birthday there was a knock on the door of the family’s small farm house.

When her little sister opened the door there was a man. He was resplendent in finely polished armor with a purple and gold template. The Vos family had always feared some overzealous fanatic would come for them just for being hobgoblins and here was such a man. Agra’s father stood firm, but the man was not here to kill, he was here to talk.

The man’s name was Erdrin and he was indeed a paladin, but he wasn’t the overzealous religious type, even if his stern demeanor made it seem so. He was a defender of the people and an itinerant warrior. But most of all he claimed he was a reincarnation of the guide for the soul that was now Agra. He claimed that the two had reincarnated over and over, servants of the Empyreal Lord Arqueros and each would find the new body for the essence of the other after they died and guide them back to the fullness of understanding.

Erdrin sat and spoke with Agra; he stayed with the family for a fortnight. Apparently something had happened that never had before. Somewhere in Agra’s psyche the core soul that was reincarnated became somewhat of a separate entity. The voice in her head was the core of her soul and it could speak to her. It even gave her power. It also remembered Erdrin in all his incarnations, so it urged Agra to go with him.

So Agra left home becoming an itinerant like Erdrin, she began to learn of her past. Using her connection to her own soul she was even able to push a form of that consciousness out as an entity all its own. Her abilities slowly grew. Although she wasn’t a combatant as were most of her past incarnations, she did have superb control of her own fractured mind and could use this to psychically affect the world.

A life on the road was not always easy. Agra had to learn the hard way that not all people are as benevolent as she and her mentor was. Then a small village was apparently under attack by a group of kobold. They begged the duo to protect their village. Agra was determined to prove that even though her people often perpetrated evils she was not so inclined.

Agra hunted the Kobold alone and drove them from their warren. The creatures managed to flee but she destroyed their home. As it turns out though the kobolds had performed no wrong, except to make their home where a vein of silver had been found. Agra’s religious desire to defend the weak and helpless turned about to actually disenfranchise the actual weak and helpless. A lesson she would always regret and never forget.

After five years of travel the unthinkable happened. Erdrin died. Killed in combat as befits his station by a rampaging troll, the paladin’s spark left his body. His soul would dwell for a time in heaven and then be reincarnated. Agra would have to search out his new host but it wouldn't be until that new incarnation reached maturity that she would find him. For now she waits, a decade or more of time to be alone and reflect.

As these bits of information take form we find Agra Vos, but what form did your creation take.. What class do these stats and background coalesce into in your mind? From what plane did your hobgoblin come? How did she come to worship The Golden Bulwark?

Bringing these character to life is a second full time job. Contributions to my Patreon or Paypal help me be able to invest more of that time into creation instead of worrying about keeping the lights on. If you’d like to support your favorite content provider – come on, that’s me, admit it – please consider contributing. If you’re enjoying the blog, why not join the rest of the fans of the CRB on our social media hangouts? Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter all have a CRB presence and my inbox is open on all forums for questions, comments, and discussion.

The character illustration was created by the fine artist Luis Perez. You can find him on Twitter, Tumblr, and on Instagram at luisperezart. 

Character 63 - The Randomness

Hobgoblins tend to be evil but militantly orderly. The River Kingdoms tend to be a place where people who don’t find in end up. A Lawful Good Hobgoblin fits that too a tee. Probably one of the most interesting homelands to be had this week’s character was born on another plane of existence and is a reincarnation of some one. With no below average stats we are left with a lot of choice in where we go in with this character.

Gender:Female

Race:Hobgoblin

Nationality: The River Kingdoms

Age:  19
Height: 4’ 11”
Weight: 195 lbs

Alignment:Lawful Good

Str: 15

Dex: 16

Con:  12

Int: 10

Wis: 14

Cha: 13

Homeland: Unusual Homeland - Another Plane (GM Choice)

Parents: Both of your parents are alive.

Siblings: You have 1sibling.

- younger sister

Circumstance of Birth: [Reincarnated] You have been reborn in many cycles, and may be reborn in many more until you accomplish the ultimate task for which you are destined.

Parent's Profession: Serfs/Peasants

Major Childhood Event: [Bullied] In your early life, you were a victim— easy prey for those stronger or cleverer than yourself. They beat you when they could, using you for their sport. This abuse nursed a powerful flame of vengeance.

Influential Associate:[The Wanderer] You knew someone who traveled from place to place with the changing of the wind, such as a minstrel, convict, merchant, outcast, soldier, or sailor. This person brought you wondrous mementos and told you of all the places he had traveled and the people who lived there, inspiring a wanderlust within you.

Conflict: [Negligence] You caused someone else to suffer by your own inaction, disregard, or excessive recklessness.

Conflict Subject: Non-humanoid monster.

Conflict Motivation: Religion.

Conflict Resolution: [Sincere Regret] Though you feel sincere regret for the event and its memory affects your behavior, it’s still a secret. Only your trusted companions know of the conflict, and they have promised a degree of discretion.

Deity/Religious Philosophy:Arqueros

Romantic Relationship(s):[No Experience] You have never experienced any kind of romantic connection whatsoever.

Drawback:[The Past] You long for the world to return to a past age. You’ve adopted the manners and style of this age, and are fascinated by its customs, relics, and artifacts, and by the historical figures of that time. Perhaps you live so much in this past age that your connection to the present is tenuous. Or your pretentiousness annoys others.

(Trait) Bullied

(Trait) Empyreal Focus

(Trait) Poverty-Stricken

(Trait) Reincarnated

(Trait) Scholar of the Great Beyond

(Trait) Worldly

(Story Feat) Arisen

(Story Feat) Forgotten Past

(Drawback) Sentimental

In the comments please tell us what character you would make with these disparate pieces information? What class would this Hobgolin naturally gravitate towards? What plane was she born on? And how did she end up in The River Kingdoms?What were some of her past lives? And don’t forget to stay tuned Friday when my background hits the CRB.

The CRB not only brings you the creative content you desire but makes you look inside for your own creativity. If you feel both inspired and pushed to created please consider supporting your favorite content provider – that’s me right – by pledging as little as $1 on my Patreon or making a direct donation to my Paypal. If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to get the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle Subscriptions through Amazon. And to keep up with my other musings and thoughts you can follow the CRB on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter.

Character 51 - Brogurtt Thunderstomp

Our smart and dexterous hobgoblin was a bit of a challenge. He almost cried out to be a full int caster but when reading about hobgoblins I learned something. On Golarion hobgoblins were engineered to fight elves. Even now they still hate them because of the magical programming. Because they hate elves they also hate arcane magic. I decided to work with this information and go a different direction.

Card One: Where the character game from. In this case I’m going to use The Carnival card to represent imprudent plans. When mixed with the signifier card of The Crows which can represent shocking loss, and the fact both this characters parents were in the military I see him being an early orphan. His parents dead because of a poorly thought through plan of a commanding officer.

Card Two: The Cricket represents a quick mind and a quick body both of which this character has in spades. The peach pit upon which the grig on the card is perched usually means a treasure. Again combined with the signifier card which can represent  theft, and the Magical Gift major childhood event, I see the important event represented by this card as the cunning theft of this magical item.

Card Three: The third position card represents a talent. The Inquisitors represents someone who searches for and accepts nothing but the truth. As a special ability it can mean someone who is not easily lied to or swayed. I see this as the character having a very high sense motive and probably quite a few knowledge skills.

Card Four: The Joke represents something that must be overcome not by physical force. This shows that sometime in his future this character must use his wits and skill to overcome some great obstacle or monster. Combined with the talent represented in card three and the stats, and the portfolio of the Daemon Harbinger he follows I’m going to read this as representing his class. I see our Hobgoblin being an Investigator, with the Steel Hound archetype

Brogurtt Thunderstomp

Life in a hobgoblin company is harsh and strictly regimented, everyone serves under someone else’s boot unless you are the high commander. Every member of the company is a soldier, whether that means you are the company cook or an infantry lineman doesn’t matter. The hobgoblins purpose is to war, preferably against the hated elves.

Brogrutt’s parents were foot soldiers, always on the frontlines of battle. In Numeria battle usually meant war against the various Kellid tribes, or fighting for one’s territory against the mutant fauna and strange automatons of the wastes. Occasionally the Technic League would hire units of hobgoblins for one mission or another. As long as they were paid in the high-tech weapons and armor the League loved they didn’t care. Anything to further the needs of the company

Soon after his sister was born Brogurtt’s parents died. One of the company’s commanders planned to take territory from one of the smaller Kellid tribes. So set on his victory and making a name for himself the commander didn’t realize this was a cousin to the Black Sovereign himself. Reinforcements were swift and the commander’s lack of reconnaissance led to his troops being massacred. The commander returned home, demoted, but Brogurtt was left to fend for himself, and his sister. He promised his sister he would find his revenge and never leave her like their parents did.

The hobgoblin tendency to blindly follow orders didn’t sit well with Brogurrt after that. He spent much of his early years seeking vengeance for the death of his parents. Using every means at his disposal he sought aid even outside the tribe. The orcs spoke of a seer, one who lost his vision from the poisonous metals he ingested to gain his visions. For years Bromgutt would seek the oracles council until it led him to the lightning stone.

Supposedly a gift from the Daemon Harbinger Cixyron, the lightning stone was used by the technic league to power some of their technological devices. Although like many hobgoblins Bromgutt loathed magic as a tool of the elves, If it meant his revenge he would stoop to its use. The young hobgoblin snuck into the facility and lifted the lightning stone, along with a few other choice objects

The plan was always revenge.  Bromgurtt hated his parent’s murderer with a passion. The lightning stone was his chance to enact his vengeance. But things don’t always work out as planned. The stone was useful and it killed, it just didn't kill his parent’s former commander. Hobgoblins kill to move up the ranks all the time. Failure, however brings exile. In his hatred and anger Bromgurtt broke his one promise. He was cast out and left his sister alone just like their parents did.

With the lightning stone spent and his only possessions a few things he stole from the technic league Bromgurtt began searching for more advanced toys. Advancement brought power, he knew that by seeing the leagues influence. He began to dip into the realm of alchemy. One of the devices he took was a small pistol. It took him a while to figure it out but eventually is keen mind got it working.

Still seeking revenge, and power, Bromgutt looks to one day join the League. For now he explores the ruins of the things that crashed in Numeria ages ago. He hopes that some discovery will bring him entrance to the technomancer’s society. Hopefully Ciixyon well guide his hand after years of dedication.

For some hobgblins, military conformity is not the way. What would you have done with these stats? What class would you have picked? How would you have interpreted each card in the reading?

Bromgurtt looks for inspiration in technology hopefully you find your inspiration here. If you do please consider becoming a contributor to my Patreon. If you’d like to see what else the CRB is up to, join me on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter. My inbox is open on all venues.

Random Roll 51 - The Randomness

In the savage lands of Numeria a hobgoblin is born. Fast reflexes and a keen intellect set him apart from others. Son to soldiers, but both parents dead. Older brother to a lone sister. Eventually becoming a follower of Cixyron, the Daemon Harbinger of electricity, gunpowder, and poisonous metals. His driving goal is power. So who is this character?

Because it went over well I have kept the harrow reading. I will work it into my character but if you don’t want to you do not need to. Let’s see who’s up to the challenge.

Gender: Male

Race: Hobgoblin

Nationality: Numeria

Age: 23
Height: 4’ 9”
Weight: 215bs

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Str: 10

Dex: 17

Con:  12

Int: 16

Wis: 13

Cha: 10

Homeland: Hobgoblin Settlement

Parents: Both of your parents are dead.

Siblings: You have 1 biological sibling.

- biological younger sister

Circumstance of Birth: [Middle-Class Birth] You were born to the middle class, which includes merchants, artisans, and tradespeople. You likely grew up in a good-sized settlement, and one of your parents is likely associated with a guild or other trade organization. As a free person, you don't experience the bondage of serfdom or peasantry, but you also lack the privilege of the nobility.

Parent's Profession: Soldiers

Major Childhood Event: [Magical Gift] When you were a child, you found, stole, or were given a magic item that gave you an extraordinary ability. You may have used this item for mischief, crime, or good. Since that time, magic items have always held a special fascination for you.

Influential Associate: [The Seer] You were close to a person who claimed to see the future—perhaps an oracle, seer, prophet, or merely some festival charlatan. Whether they're true or a trick, you've seen visions of distant places and of times that may come to pass. The seer's influence either made you into an optimist with a drive to change the future or a fatalist resigned to accept it.      

Conflict: [Cheater] You broke a rule, law, contract, or agreement for your own gain.

Conflict Subject: Child or young person.

Conflict Motivation: Hatred or Malice.

Conflict Resolution: [No Guilt] Either guilt is for the weak, or you know you made the right decision. You might not openly brag about your part in the conflict, but you don’t deny it when confronted either.

Deity/Religious Philosophy: Cixyron

Romantic Relationship(s): [Several Significant Relationships] You’ve engaged in a number of partnerships, but for some reason or another your relationships always fail.
Drawback: [Power] You long for the ability to influence the world around you, whether that’s as small as a village or as large as a plane of reality.

(Trait) Artisan

(Trait) Magical Talent

(Trait) Merchant

(Trait) Orphaned

(Trait) Tactician

(Trait) Scholar of the Great Beyond

(Trait) Scrapper

(Trait) Tireless Logic

(Drawback) Power-Hungry

Harrow Reading

We read the cards in the cross pattern.  Card one being where the character came from, card two an important event in the characters life, card three represents a talent the character will have , and card four represents where the character is going. Surrounded by the signifier that represents the character.

Signifier card: The Crows (neutral evil, Dexterity) are a dangerous bunch who indicate violent taking of that which is loved. When The Crows appear, murder, theft, or other shocking loss occurs.

Card one: The Carnival (chaotic neutral, Wisdom) is the card of illusions and false dreams. This card can heighten the power of the arcane, but depending on such whimsical forces can be risky. For others, this card depicts imprudent plans or unrealistic ambitions.

Card Two: The Cricket (neutral good, Dexterity) is a grig, a creature whose mind is as quick as its body. It represents speed and quick passage. Although The Cricket is commonly associated with travel, the peach it sits by represents treasure at the end.

Card Three: The Inquisitor (lawful neutral, Intelligence) accepts nothing save the truth. He represents immutable reality, that which cannot be fooled or swayed in any way. To attempt to go against this unchangeable object, person, or idea is to court disaster.

Card Four: The Joke (chaotic good, Intelligence) shows a terror that must be overcome—but not by physical means. This monster can only be defeated by trickery or artifice. This card can represent the value of humor in finding the way past a difficult person or task.

In the comments please tell us what character you would make with these disparate pieces information? What class would this Hobgoblin naturally gravitate towards? Who is this worshiper Cixyron, The Furious Thunder? And don’t forget to stay tuned Friday when my background hits the CRB.

The CRB not only brings you the creative content you desire but makes you look inside for your own creativity. If you feel both inspired and pushed to created please consider supporting your favorite content provider (that’s me) by pledging as little as $1 on my Patreon. If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to get the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle Subscriptions through Amazon. And to keep up with my other musings and thoughts you can follow the CRB on Google+, Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter.